Disclaimer: I do not own Lab Rats or any other Disney owned mention, only this FanFic which belongs to ME. © StripedFuzzySocks
A/N: Thank you reviewers, you drive this story along; BTRlover1122, glowing starry eyed, ADayWithoutCHEERIsADayWasted, AnMaRo412, fanfictionlover, Lady-Cougar Trombone, TheRedFlowerOfFire, crazyinlovesky15, and 10pandasrule10. Sorry about the wait, I know it was a little longer than usual just because of an annoying thing I like to call 'real life'. Anywho, the new chappie starts... right about... now!
Chapter 6
Faith, Trust, and Basement Dust
Bree
"Are you sure you should? I mean, of course you should! It could be a matter of life and death, but that could also mean your life or death, and nobody wants to risk that. Then again, if you stay, it could only be you left and nobody wants that... two to one - you're out-voted. Bree, you're going. That's final. But... it could be too late already, in which case sending you would be redundant and only cause further injury, but we don't know that for sure! We have to find out - Bree has to find out, that's why she has to go. But does it necessarily have to be Bree, I mean, we could..." I groaned and interrupted Davenport's babbling.
"Davenport. I'm going. End of discussion." I laughed, rolling my eyes as I packed the mission bag. Didn't he have faith in me?
"Okay, okay. Just try not to re-open any cuts, alright? Track them down and bring them back. No crazy heroics." He warned.
"Yeah, I got it." I answered, carefully tucking the body bags under the other supplies so they weren't immediately visible. That was a last resort along with the shock pen that Davenport always had us carry. Finally, I zipped up the bag and slung it over my shoulder as I prepared to run as only I could. I just hoped my first solo mission wouldn't have to involve blood shed. Just as I was about to zoom off to the given coordinates (thank you, GPS implant), one of Davenport's many machines in the lab started beeping in an electrified frenzy along with something flashing red. Never a good sign.
"Uh, Davenport? Is there something wrong?" I asked anxiously.
"Yes! Yes, yes. Very wrong..." He droned off as he ignored me and tinkered with his gadgets, getting into what he calls 'the zone'.
"Hey, here's a crazy idea! How about telling me what's so very wrong?" I suggested sarcastically.
"Adam's stats are peaking in every dimension! See these squigglies?" He asked. I nodded. "Those aren't 'fun road trip with the guys' squigglies, those are 'fight for your life' squigglies! Very wrong squigglies!"
Before I could comment, everything suddenly calmed down to a normal machine-like hum, alarms going dead and red flags stopping their flashing. Davenport started pacing and rubbing his chin as he mumbled to himself, once again ignoring me completely. I sighed in exasperation and clapped loudly to get his attention. Startled, he remembered that I existed and gave me an annoyed 'what was that for' look.
"Update me! What just happened?" I persisted.
"Oh, right. Yes. He's out cold. Unconscious. Adam is completely..." His voice trailed off again as he plunged into deep thoughts, but I got the gist.
"Okay, so he's unconscious. I'm leaving now before it's too late." I announced. Davenport nodded agreeably, his face strained with worry.
"Alright. Just be careful out there." He cautioned. I pulled him in a tight one-second hug and let go.
"I will. Bye." With that, I zipped off, getting that wonderous feeling of flying as I raced through the atmosphere at light speed, wind blazing at my side.
Somehow, the sheer trill of the ride assured me that everything was going to be oka - BANG! It all happened so fast I had to freeze for a few seconds to try and piece together what had just happened. My heart was pounding and my breathing... was blocked. Suddenly, I realized that someone was holding me in a tight, boa constrictor like grip with a hand over my mouth and nose, preventing me from inhaling - or even screaming loud enough for anybody to hear. I knew this move, Davenport had taught it to us centuries ago. I also knew how to get out. Acting on instinct, I stomped my foot... to the ground, because whoever it was moved it away. Nobody ever did that in the training scenarios. As I mentally searched for another weak point to inflict pain, my mystery captor suddenly started talking.
"Shhh, stop. Settle down. It's me." It was a voice I recognised. Chase. Not deep and threatening like Spike's, but Chase. Still, I was reluctant to jump to any conclusions. I was about to respond, but then with frustration remembered the hand, so I writhed and squirmed as I tried without success to get away.
"Do you trust me?" Chase's voice asked, still light like only he can make it. I paused for a second, considering my response. Slowly, I nodded and he let go.
"I trust you." He said next, referring to me either staying or zooming off without a glance back. For a moment, Option B was looking good, but then I saw his eyes and I knew for sure it was him. I'd stay.
"Okay, fill me in. What's happened since you became you?" I asked.
"I don't know... I just woke up and I was running out of school... and I had this instinct that I had to find you, for some reason it was really important. I don't know. It sounds crazy now. I'm just so... confused. Everything's a blur." Chase rambled, not making any sense. Oh, great. Something must have gone wrong with the memory swap Davenport did while Adam was in the bathroom. Adam! I just then remembered my mission.
"Where's Adam? Do you remember? Is he still by the bakery or did he move in the past few minutes?" I asked him all at once, causing Chase to blink blankly.
"...Bakery?" He repeated, frowning in confusion. Ugh, he didn't know anything.
"Never mind. I'll get Adam and you... just stay here, okay?" I took charge, about to zip off before he suddenly grabbed my arm, holding me back.
"NO! I mean... don't go! You hear me, you hear me..." Chase's frightened voice trailed off as his eyes glazed over as though recalling a past memory.
"What are you talking about?" I asked, truly concerned at the moment for his mental health. It seemed as if the memory experiment had only worked half-way. He didn't respond at first, then jolted out of his brief trance.
"Someone's screaming! We have to help them!" He exclaimed suddenly, and bolted down the sidewalk with a hand still gripping my arm.
"Chase, you're not making any sense!" I said desperately and yanked my arm away, causing him to stop running.
"B - but they need us. They need our help." He insisted, hurt reflected in his amber eyes. "Don't you believe me?"
"Look, you're lost, confused, and there's a possible serial killer dumped into your coconut. We have to get you back home..." I explained, but he cut me off.
"No, I remember something! There's a room under the school... they don't use it, but I do, or he does." Chase explained desperately.
"Are you sure?" I asked him. There was the slight possibility that this was true, since it aligned with the other small bits of evidence.
"Of course I am!" He insisted haughtily as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "And I think I even know how to get there, you just have to trust me."
"Trust you?" I repeated doubtfully. Chase nodded with unquestionable certainty. "Okay, fine, but if we find nothing, you go straight back home with me."
"Deal!" He agreed immediately, already making his way to school. I sighed in admiration of his leaderly qualities present even in a situation like this, and with that, I followed close behind, hoping we weren't chasing butterflies here. Pun not intended.
"I'm fairly sure it's here somewhere... but it could possibly be back there... I'll know it when I see it." Chase droned, eyebrows crinkled in concentration.
"You've been saying that for twenty minutes while we've been running in circles!" I complained.
"I'm sorry, but it's really hard to make out any clear memories. It's all jumbled up in there, like that one time I had piles of beautiful money that you savagely sucked out of my hands. I'm trying to catch them all, but they're moving all at once and every time I think I have a grasp of one, it slips away and I'm left with nothing again." He explained, frustration present in his strained expression. I stopped walking and he did too.
"Just try harder." I pushed.
"I'm trying, but Spike's not exactly the forgiving type!" He shot back angrily. I took a deep breath and counted backwards from ten before speaking again.
"Okay, just slow down for a minute, focus on one image, and grab it." I advised calmly. Chase nodded and closed his eyes. A few painstaking seconds later, he snapped them back open, gasping slightly.
"What did you see?" I asked on my toes.
"It wasn't a memory exactly, but for a moment, it was like I was in his mind, feeling his every thought or emotion." He filled me in breathlessly.
"Sounds creepy, but do tell." I pressured.
"Dark. Red. Angry. Screaming. He's trapped somewhere... lonely and neglected. He hates me." I frowned at this bleak abstract representation of what was going on inside Spike's head.
"And he loves you." Chase added hesitantly. "He loves you a lot."
I froze, almost going into shock on the spot. Spike loved me? Like a little kid sister? Like one of the guys? Like a best friend? Like a... girlfriend? Was that why he tried to kill me? That guy really needs to read an article about how to send clearer messages. Struggling to compose myself, I turned to Chase again, who was still deep in concentration trying to make sense of the chaos swarming in his head. Spike loved me. Should I be flattered or disturbed? Right now, I was disturbed more than anything. I mean, what would I do if he tried to act on his... love? Push him away of course, push him further away into the dark side until he was hopelessly unreachable. That was hardly a plan, but no way was I lip-locking with a murderous psychopath taking form through my brother's body. That was not up for discussion. So, what was the plan exactly...?
"This way." He instructed, yanking me out of my turbulent thoughts, and promenaded down a hallway with purpose.
"How do you even do that?" I asked, perplexed.
"I just... know. He's been this way before." Chase explained bleakly.
"And I'm just supposed to follow blindly?" I scoffed.
"If we ever want to find out what he's hiding." He responded.
Sighing, I followed him blindly down the long, boring hallway to the buried treasure. We turned a few corners and poked our heads into a few empty classrooms, but still, we had nothing and I was seriously doubting his skills. I gave him a chance, so it wouldn't be so uncalled for if I took him home now, right? Just as I was about to announce that his timer was up, Chase brightened suddenly, picking up the pace as he rounded a corner, dashed into the theater arts room and leapt onto the stage. For the first time this hour, his eyes gleamed full of hope.
"This is it!" He exclaimed happily. "It's right here!"
"So... Spike's big secret is that he's going into show business?" I joked.
"No." Chase protested haughtily. "There's a trap door on here somewhere for illusion, but it's also the secret entrance to the school's blizzard shelter underground. He goes there every night."
"Wow. Nice job, Sherlock, but there are over a hundred tiles on this stage. How are we supposed to know -," I broke off with a scream as the floor gave way beneath me and I landed with a sickening thud on my butt someplace dark... and dusty. I couldn't for the life of me see anything down here but the soft square of light above me that seemed to be the only opening into this hole. I let out a choking cough after accidentally inhaling a lungful of dust and instinctively started giving myself the Heimlich to get the debris out of my system. Finally, the cough attack subsided and I glanced up again to meet the smirking outline of Chase blocking the single light source.
"Found it." He teased. Not being able to come up with an immediate retort, I childishly stuck out my tongue as I hauled myself to a standing position.
"Just get down here." I grumbled, glad for once that it was too dark for him to see my burning cheeks. Thud. Next, I heard the sound of Chase's groan as he clumsily scrambled to his feet, each struggle amplified on the wooden floor. I felt a cold hand clamp onto my arm and I gasped all girly-girl-esque in spite of myself, causing good-natured laughing to echo through the dank air of... wherever the heck we were.
"I had no idea you were so afraid of the dark." Chase taunted gleefully, clearly enjoying every minute of this.
"Am not." I squeaked in a small voice. Ugh, I wanted to slap myself for being such a baby about this. I mean, believe me when I tell you I've been in a lot worse, so my freaking out over the dark makes the whole thing that much more humiliating. Was my pulsing fear that transparent? Suddenly, I coughed up a wad of dust bunnies again, bending over in the attack. When my breathing finally regulated back to normal, I realised that I was wrapped in Chase's arms in the Heimlich position and blushed even redder until I was sure I would look like a tomato if we had any freaking sight.
Quickly, I untangled us and tried to remember why we were here, but for some reason everything came up blank. Luckily, Chase seemed to know what he was doing and began walking forward, holding me close so we didn't accidentally split and get lost on our own. I blindly outstretched a flailing arm to find a switch, a door, a wall, something, but all I found was floating dust. A thunk sounded just next to me and I buckled like a horse facing down a hissing Copperhead. The hand that held Chase's coiled into a death grip, my feet frozen solid to the flimsy wood supporting us.
"Relax, it's just me. I think I found a wall. We're going to follow it, okay?" Chase consoled me in a soft whisper while gently nudging me forward, defrosting my feet and kicking the snake aside, reassuring me I could do this. I don't know what I'd do without him. I nodded numbly in response, but remembering our current situation, answered verbally.
"Okay." I swallowed, forcing myself to continue.
No way would I be caught dead chickening out of this now, after everything we've been through. I had to keep moving forward and be the hero everyone wants me to be. As we trudged along, I found that even though we were surrounded by a bottomless pitch black, I saw things - quick flashes of people, though I couldn't hear or feel anything other than Chase and I. We were alone, right? To this day, I'll never know whether the hazy images were simply my eyes playing tricks on me because it had run out of reality, or if the illusions were truth. Shadows kept forming into figures reaching out to grab me, but I'd blink and they had disappeared as quickly as they had manifested. Then a hand would come out of nowhere to choke me, and then it too was gone, replaced by another nightmare. I swear, if Spike had chosen right then to emerge, all he'd have to do to kill me would be to whisper 'boo' and my heart would stop. Okay, maybe I am a tiny bit afraid of the dark.
"I think I found a switch..." Chase's hushed voice spoke again, followed by the sound of blind hands feeling their way around a jagged foreign object.
Suddenly, a chipper click and blinding light encased me. I hoped I wasn't blind for real, because I just know it would drive me insane. But after a few seconds of searing white, my eyes slowly began to adjust to our surroundings for the first time. Chase and I were facing a black metal door guarded carefully by a four number combination lock. When I turned around, a room the size of a football field met me, so carefully organized I was afraid if I knocked something over, the universe would be thrown out of balance. Thick, furry blankets and jackets were perfectly stacked in a corner of the room and the walls were lined with first aid kits, fire extinguishers, and huge plastic tubs of food rations and water. Everything a school would need to weather a blizzard and then survive a few days of being snowed in. When I glanced over at Chase, his eyes were glowing - calculating - and I knew he simply couldn't resist knowing exactly how many days that would be. Where we live, the winters are harsh, but we'd never been down here before. But what did this have to do with Spike?
"Okay, I'll have a look around and see if I spot anything out of the ordinary, and you find out what's behind that door." I commanded, determined to regain my cool stature after that embarrassing display of emotion that I wished he were capable of forgetting.
"Are you sure you don't want me to hold your hand? You never know what -," Before Chase could finish his tease, I punched him in the arm - hard - cutting him off.
"If anyone finds out about this, you're toast." I threatened, and Chase laughed and held his hands up in surrender, turning his attention to the lock.
While he busied himself with that, I explored the perfectly neat stacks around me only to find more perfectly neat stacks. Shrugging, I was about to turn back, but a small cough stopped me dead. I swiveled in the direction of the faint noise and stealthily crept toward it, fists at the ready. In a flash, I leapt around the corner to face the source. I frowned, uncurling my fists at the sight. One blanket had fallen from the stack and lay in a heap in the corner. Cautiously, I picked it up, revealing what hid under it. A girl slept soundly, her chest rising and falling with every breath. Caitlin. I gasped in shock when I realized her hands were cuffed behind her back with plastic ties and I quickly used some scissors from the first aid kit to cut them off. Suddenly, she stirred and fluttered her eyes open, jumping to her feet in a panic. I stood up with her, trying to calm her down.
"Wait, where am I? And what are you doing here? And what happened?" Caitlin demanded all at once, beginning to hyperventilate.
"Caitlin, calm down. We're going get out of here, okay?" I consoled, desperately trying to come up with an explanation for everything. Darn, if only she could have stayed asleep.
"I was taking the car for a test drive, 'cause I just got my license, and then he was there... I have no idea what happened next." She gasped out between shallow breaths.
"Do you have asthma?" I asked. She nodded, then took out an inhaler from her coat pocket and breathed in the medicine, finally slowing down to normal. She swallowed, taking several deep breaths before trying to talk again.
"Yeah, I don't tell anyone so they don't think I'm a dork, but I didn't think it mattered. I haven't had an asthma attack since I was nine." Caitlin explained.
"Must be all this dust flying around." I suggested, happy that the topic had turned back to her. "Now, let's get out of here."
"I have a better idea." A deep voice growled from behind. Caitlin's face paled to a snow white. I whipped around to see Chase, no Spike (only he contains that murderous glint in his dark, dark eyes) blocking the way. In his hand, he held a gun pointed at Caitlin's head.
A/N: Ha ha, another cliff hanger! I'm sorry, I just love those! Wow, that was by far this story's longest chapter yet, so I hope you got your full enjoyment out of it. As always, site members with their PM turned on get a sneak peek of the next chapter if they review, so don't hesitate to post your thoughts because I value them dearly. Thanks for reading,
-StripedFuzzySocks-
